Radio confessions

“Hello. I need help.”

“Who is on the line?”

“.. can you help … I’m sorry, what?”

“Caller, your name?”

“My surname is Li.”

“Mr Li. Tell us your problem.”

“My mother is over 70. She is very sick and lies in bed all day. I am the only person that cares for her. She is sad. Just sad all the time and forgets things. She is always sick and cannot clean herself. Worse, she pees everywhere. My salary goes to her medication, buying her diapers, so many things.

I … I need help.”

“Mr Li. Does she have Alziehmer’s?”

“What is that?”

“What do you mean … Mr Li, do you know what Alzeihmers’s is?”

“No. It costs money and so much time to see doctors at the hospital. She .. . it costs so much to support her takes money. We need more help. Where can I go?”

“Mr Li. I’m sorry about our mother. What district do you live in?”

“Changing.”

“Mr Li. Listen to me. The local district has clinics that can advise you where to get subsidized diapers. Talk to them about other options that can support you through other subsidies.”

“Will they be able to help me?”

“You can seek their advice.”

“It’s so difficult to take care of my mother by myself…”

“Mr Li, we understand it is difficult but we have to end this call.”

“… she uses so many diapers. I don’t have time to take her to hospital and her medication is ..”

“Mr Li, we have to end the call. Remember to ring the help line.”

“… so expensive. We need …”

Melancholy music fills the airwaves.

“And we’re back. That was a Mr Li with an unfortunate situation with his bed-ridden mother. How sad. Remember, turn to your local district for help because if you do not ask, you do not know what options may be available to you.

Now who is on this line?”

“Hello? HELLO? Yes! My surname is Yan. I want to complain about this terrible customer service I experienced at this restaurant the other day …”